Racial Segregation: Sin in the Church, pt. 3
When James, the half-brother of Jesus, wanted to illustrate the dangers of showing partiality, he wrote an example in the context of a worship service. James writes, “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (2:1). A few verses later he writes, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (James 2:8-9). Showing partiality toward another race (racial prejudice) transgresses the law of love, therefore it is sin. In light of our racially segregated churches, one does not have to wonder too much what James would have to say about this issue. As Christians, we don’t love like we should; we continue to be divided by race, rather than united by love.
The early church was racially diverse. There were Jews (Hebraic and Hellenistic) and Gentiles (from the Middle East to Europe), and even though there were cultural strains (Acts 6:1, 15:1), the apostles never advocated segregating the church based on race. If they had, they would have set up Jewish churches and Gentile churches. But in the New Testament we find Jews and Gentiles worshiping together.
The apostle Paul taught that all believers in Christ become part of one body and one household. Paul writes, “so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:5). In Ephesians 2:19 Paul writes, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Just so we understand that God’s kingdom transcends all cultural barriers, Paul writes, “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith…There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26, 28). If all believers in Christ are a part of one body, and members of God’s household which transcends all ethnic, social and gender barriers, then why do we worship separately as if this were not true? In Revelation (5:9, 7:9) we find every tribe, language, people, and nation before the throne of God. If that’s what heaven will be like, shouldn’t our churches represent that unity in diversity now?
As long as we cling to our own cultures and ways of worship (music style, order of service, preaching style) there’ll be no progress in the desegregation of the church. If one ethnic group demands that another ethnic group gives up everything and assimilates fully into their own culture, there’ll be no advancements. When two ethnic groups join together, what should be produced is a tertium quid--a third distinct culture (a blending of styles and practices). The unifying factors should be a commitment to God’s kingdom above our own cultures, Christ-centered and exalting lyrics, and Christ-centered biblical preaching (Phil. 2:9-11). With that, God would be glorified.
a pdf version of this entry is available here
The early church was racially diverse. There were Jews (Hebraic and Hellenistic) and Gentiles (from the Middle East to Europe), and even though there were cultural strains (Acts 6:1, 15:1), the apostles never advocated segregating the church based on race. If they had, they would have set up Jewish churches and Gentile churches. But in the New Testament we find Jews and Gentiles worshiping together.
The apostle Paul taught that all believers in Christ become part of one body and one household. Paul writes, “so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:5). In Ephesians 2:19 Paul writes, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Just so we understand that God’s kingdom transcends all cultural barriers, Paul writes, “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith…There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26, 28). If all believers in Christ are a part of one body, and members of God’s household which transcends all ethnic, social and gender barriers, then why do we worship separately as if this were not true? In Revelation (5:9, 7:9) we find every tribe, language, people, and nation before the throne of God. If that’s what heaven will be like, shouldn’t our churches represent that unity in diversity now?
As long as we cling to our own cultures and ways of worship (music style, order of service, preaching style) there’ll be no progress in the desegregation of the church. If one ethnic group demands that another ethnic group gives up everything and assimilates fully into their own culture, there’ll be no advancements. When two ethnic groups join together, what should be produced is a tertium quid--a third distinct culture (a blending of styles and practices). The unifying factors should be a commitment to God’s kingdom above our own cultures, Christ-centered and exalting lyrics, and Christ-centered biblical preaching (Phil. 2:9-11). With that, God would be glorified.
a pdf version of this entry is available here
posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 |
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